Will, foon or late, quite cloy his Appetite, And make the Boar and Turbot, freshly caught, Rank to his Tafte; and then he must repair To 4 acid Herbs and Radifh for Relief.

Yet fome Remains of our old fimple Fare Are feen at stately Banquets; there cheap Eggs And fable Olives ftill maintain a Place.

Not many Years ago, of Luxury

5 Gallonius was convicted, on his Board
Because a Sturgeon fimok'd. But did not then
The Sea as many Turbots feed, as now?
But fafely in their watry Bed they flept;
And fafely in her Neft the Stork repos'd;
'Till, longing to be Prætor, Rufus first
Inftructed you to cat this dainty Food.
And even now, if any one will vouch,
That roafted Cormorants are excellent,
Our Youth, foon warp'd to Ill, will follow him,
And Cormorant will be the reigning Dish.
Wide is the Difference, Ofellus thinks,
Between a lavish and a frugal Meal :

Then with Discretion in the Middle steer,
Careful to fhun th' Extremes on either Hand;
Frugal, not mean; and free without Excess.
Avidienus, who was ftyl'd the Dog,

And merited the Name, was wont to eat
Olives of five Years old, and Cornels wild;
Nor other Wine would for Libations grant
Than what was eager ; and, when 6 rob'd in white,

He kept his natal or his wedding Day,
He from a Cruet, which contain'd a Quart,
Diftill'd upon the Coleworts Oil fo rank,
His Guests were almost poifon'd with the Stench;
But plenteous pour'd the mothery Vinegar.
What fort of Life should now the wifeMan chufe?
Here ftands Extravagance, there Penury;
Frugality points out the middle Road;
Bids him be neat, and yet Profufion fhun.
He will not be fevere, like old Albutius,

Who to each Slave affign'd his proper Poft,
WhenGuefts he fummon'd; and, without Remorfe,
Punish'd the leaft Mistake: Nor yet, like Nævius,
So flovenly, to give them greafy Water.

This a wide Error on the other Side.

Now learn the various Bleffings that will flow From 7 Temperance: Of thefe, the firft is Health. Reflect how fprightly were the Days of Youth, When on one Dish you could contented dine. But fince, at once, Meat boil'd and roast you mix, Shell-fish and Fowls; the sweet and acid jar, And wretched Tumults in your Bowels raife; Cold Phlegm, and Eile aduft, fermenting there, How pale, from Treats luxurious, rife the Guests! Nay, more; the Body, heavy with the Load Of Yefternight's Debauch, 8 chains down to Earth That Farticle of Breath divine, the Soul !

The temperate Man fnatches a frugal Meal, Refigns his weary Limbs to fweet Repofe,

And

And rifes active to his daily Toil.

Yet he can fometimes take a chearful Glafs, When circling Years bring round a festal Day, Or to invigorate his 9 feeble Form,

Or when weak Age a milder Treatment claims. If now, while young and ftrong, you wafte your Days

In Blandifhments, what Solace can you hope, Opprefs'd with languid Health, or liftless Years?

come,

Our Fathers prais'd a tainted Boar; and yet They had a Nofe. Their Meaning, as I guefs, Was this They kept it 'till their Friends fhould [like, And fhare the Feaft; nor would, CurmudgeonDevour it by themfelves entire and sweet. Oh! that the vigorous Earth had brought me forth Among the Heroes of that golden Age!

Regard'st thou Fame, which ought to footh the Ear Beyond the sweetest Verse? or know'ft thou not, That coftly Treats will hurt thy Character No lefs than thy Eftate? Nay, add to this, That, by thy Children, Friends, and felf, accurs'd, Thou wilt not have a single Penny left, To buy a Cord, and end thy wretched Life!

Why aye, 'tis right,' the wealthy Trafius cries, Thus to rebuke the Man, whofe fmall Estate Will not fupport the Table that he keeps. But what is this to Me, who, am poffefs'd • Of Wealth enough to dignify a King?'

G4

Indeed!

Indeed! why therefore doft thou not employ To Ends more noble that fuperfluous Wealth? Whilft thou art rich, why does one worthy Man Repine in Want? Wherefore in Ruins lie The ancient Temples of the Gods? Oh! fay, Wretch as thou art, 10 why doft thou not bestow Some Portion of thy Pelf to ferve thy Country?

What! will kind Fortune fmile on thee alone, And never, never change? Hereafter, thou, Scorn'd by thy Foes, fhalt dearly rule thy Folly. Say, which is moft fecure, fhould Fortune fhift, The Man, who gratifies each Appetite, Pamper'd each Day in Body and in Mind; Or he, who, bleft with little, fears the worft, And prudently in Peace provides for War?

But, by an Inftance to confirm my Words, Ofellus 11 I remember when a Boy, Who with the fame Frugality then liv'd In Affluence, as now he 12 lives reduc'd. You still may fee this sturdy Hind, who ploughs Thofe Fields for Hire, of which he once was Lord; And, as he works, he thus accofts his Sons:

'On common Days I was content to dine 'On a fmok'd Flitch, with favoury Coleworts join'd. 'But when a Friend, long abfent, came from far, 'Or a kind Neighbour on a rainy Day, 'And by foul Weather we were kept at home,

13 I feafted them with home-bred Kid and Fowl, • And

And not with Fish from Rome. Grapes long ` preferv❜d,

⚫ Walnuts and Figs adorn'd our fecond Course. "The Dinner o'er, with grateful Hearts we paid. To 14 Ceres due Libations; and implor'd 'Her Influence, to blefs the fpringing Corn; • Then chearly circled round the generous Bowl, And fmooth'd our wrinkled Brows with Bacchus'

Yet

Gift:

every

Gueft was from Compulsion free, • And Temperance reign'd fole Mistress of the Feaft. 'Let Fortune frown, and farther Tumults raife, From Me how little can fhe take? Have I,

་

My Boys, liv'd worfe, or are your Looks lefs fleek, • Since this new Tenant came and feiz'd ourLand? I call him Tenant, whom you deem your Lord; 15 That Farm, which by Ofellus' Name once Umbrenus now enjoys; the Use alone, [pafs'd, Not Property; which can to none belong : • For neither him, nor me, nor any one, Hath Nature truly form'd Proprietor

Of what he holds. This Man ejected me;
Him, or his own Debaucheries, or Quirks
• Of wicked Law unknown, may foon eject;
Or on his Heir it muft at last devolve.

Live then, my Sons, contented with your Lot, • And meet each adverfe Chance with fteady

Mind !'

G. 5

NOTES.